Need help persuading your manager to send you to Dreamforce? Use our template to make your case.

It’s been three years since the Salesforce family got together in person. Dreamforce ’22 is coming to San Francisco from September 20–22, and you want to be there. But you’re not sure how to persuade your boss. No worries, #DreamDesigner, we’ve got you covered!

We’ve put together a template you can use to make your case and send to your boss. We also have facts and tips for communicating the value of the conference and how it can drive success and innovation for your company.

A report from 2021 found that of the 268,000 job postings in the design ecosystem, 5% explicitly require at least one Salesforce skill. Of job postings for established Salesforce personas in 2019, 15% of Administrators, 41% of Developers, 37% of Architects, and 27% of Consultants require at least one design skill. So, come to DF22 and visit the Salesforce Design Team at Camp Design to learn more and expand your skills.

Include facts

Attendees at Salesforce events report:

• 87% learned something that helped accelerate business growth.
• 89% saved time by learning something that created efficiencies in their business.
• 86% solved business challenges with something they learned at Dreamforce.
• 83% discovered a new tool or product that helped them or their business.

Outline benefits

Dreamforce is an opportunity that can transform your career and deliver business value. If your boss can see how this event will impact you individually, great! But if they can also see how this event will benefit the company as a whole, even better.

Try answering these questions to begin:

• Which aspects of design will you focus on developing at Dreamforce?
• How will this event positively affect a specific project or initiative you’re working on?
• How will this event positively affect an initiative that’s planned for the upcoming year?

Next, ask related questions about how you might bring back insights that could impact the company. Think about what key learnings may support business objectives.

Be ready with details

Your boss is more likely to sign off and send you to Dreamforce if you present your case with all the relevant details. The more information you can provide, the better.

Share a breakdown of costs, including items like:

• Airfare: $
• Transportation between airport and hotel: $
• Hotel: $
• Meals: $
• Conference registration fee: $1,299

Note: If transportation cost is a concern, San Francisco has plenty of public transportation options to and from the airport. And once you’re in San Francisco, all of Dreamforce is walkable and accessible!

Once you’ve broken down the costs, it might also help to provide other specific information like:

• Education: A list of sessions you plan on attending.
• Networking: A short list of companies and/or Trailblazers you plan to meet.
• Impact: A one-pager highlighting expected takeaways. (Follow up afterward with a complete report.)

Present your case

You’ve outlined your case, so it’s time to determine the best mode of communication to present this information to your boss. There’s no wrong or right way.

Some prefer an in-person conversation, while others would like to see this all in writing (email or slide deck). Do what works best for your boss’s communication style.

If needed, use this email template, which includes most of the information we covered here.

We wish you luck from the Salesforce Designer team and hope to see you in person at Dreamforce this year. Once you get sign-off to attend, register here, and don’t forget to tweet us @SalesforceUX or use #DreamDesigner to let us know you’re attending!

Salesforce Design is dedicated to elevating design and advocating for its power to create trusted relationships with users, customers, partners, and the community. We share knowledge and best practices that build social and business value. We call this next evolution of design Relationship Design. Join our Design Trailblazers community, become a certified UX designer, or work with us!